In recent years, wireless communication systems with various standards are introduced with the development of information communication devices, such as personal computers or the like, the use of radio waves is remarkably developed in terms of the quality and quantity. Thus, it is more important to improve the environment in which radio waves can be used at ease.
Therefore, the Body-Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) standard is proposed as the standards for limiting the intensity of radio waves emitted from a wireless apparatus to the range that does not affect the human body. In order to conform to the Body-SAR standard, in an information processing apparatus having mounted thereon a wireless module, such as a wireless world area network (WAN), or the like, the maximum send output of the wireless radio wave is reduced to a value that satisfies the Body-SAR standard when the human body approaches. In the control of the maximum send output in order to conform to the Body-SAR standard, because an amount of the send output to be reduced is adjusted and determined for each transmission frequency, the decreased amount of the send output differs for each type of devices. Specifically, the wireless module mounted on each of the information processing apparatuses has a table in which a set value that reduces the send output for each frequency is written. This table is sometimes referred to as a Dynamic Power Control (DPC) table. As described above, the set value that is written in the DPC table in the wireless module differs for each type of devices. Thus, currently, a dedicated DPC table is produced for each type of devices.
At this point, in general, wireless modules themselves are usually mounted on various kinds of information processing apparatuses. Thus, it is possible to mount and operate the wireless module that was mounted on a certain information processing apparatus on another information processing apparatus. However, if the wireless module is simply mounted and reused, this indicates that a DPC table that is used for the certain information processing apparatus is used for the other information processing apparatus; therefore, the send output may possibly exceed the Body-SAR standard.
Thus, in order to eliminate inconsistency in DPC tables, it is conceivable to produce wireless modules associated with the corresponding types of the produced DPC tables. Furthermore, when an information processing apparatus is produced, it is conceivable to write a DPC table associated with the corresponding apparatus into a wireless module mounted on the information processing apparatus. Furthermore, it is also conceivable to use a method of writing a DPC table into a wireless module by an operator using software after the OS has been started up. Furthermore, it is also conceivable to automatically write an associated DPC table into a wireless module by using an application when an information processing apparatus is installed.
Furthermore, there is a conventional technology that switches, for each country, on/off function for determining a country and automatically decreasing the SAR. Furthermore, there is a conventional technology that automatically changes, on the basis of prescribed items of the regulations accumulated in a server, the setting of output properties in accordance with the content prescribed in the latest Radio Law.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2013-255156
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-278558
However, when producing each of the wireless modules associated with the corresponding types of DPC tables, a large number of modules used in different ways needs to be produced. Consequently, management becomes complicated as the number of devices is increased and thus the management cost may possibly be increased and, furthermore, a unit price of a module may possibly be increased. Furthermore, when a DPC table is written at the time of producing an information processing apparatus, if a wireless module is replaced after the shipment, there may be a case of forget to update the DPC table. In such a case, the wireless module does not conform to the SAR standard and may possibly violate the Radio Law. Furthermore, in the method of writing the DPC table into the wireless module by the operator using the software, if the operator forgets to write the DPC table by using the software, the wireless module does not conform to the SAR standard and may possibly violate the Radio Law. Furthermore, in the method of automatically writing the DPC table when the information processing apparatus is installed, if an image stored in a hard disk at the shipment is changed, because automatic writing is not performed, the wireless module does not conform to the SAR standard and may possibly violate the Radio Law.
Furthermore, even when using the conventional technology that switches, for each country, on/off function for determining a country and automatically decreasing the SAR, it is difficult to absorb the differences of the DPC table for each information processing apparatus and thus it is difficult to reduce the complexity of the management. Furthermore, even when using the conventional technology that automatically changes the setting of the output properties on the basis of the prescribed items of the regulations accumulated in the server, it is also difficult to absorb the differences of the DPC table for each information processing apparatus and thus it is also difficult to reduce the complexity of the management.
According to an aspect of an embodiment of a wireless module, an information processing apparatus, and a computer-readable recording medium disclosed in the present invention, a storage unit stores therein control information that is used to limit the intensity of output radio waves of an own apparatus. When a wireless module is connected, a determination unit acquires identification information held by the wireless module and determines whether there is a match to identification information on the own apparatus. When the determination unit determines that there is no match, a communication control unit allows the wireless module to perform wireless communication by using the control information stored in the storage unit.